Railway-rail.



; PATENT-ED JULY 9, 1907 I 4 A. E. PARR.

RAILWAY RAIL. APPLICATION FILED MAR 29 1907 ATTORNEYS ALEXANDER E. PARR, .OF HANNA CITY, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-Rain.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 9, 1907.

7 Application filed March 29,1967. Serial No- 366,421.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Amsxiuqnnn E. Pane, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hanna City, in the. county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented' a new and useful Railway-Rail, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in rails adapted for 'use in iorming a solid track for vehicles of various descriptions, and it has for its object to provide a rail of this character that is adapted for use in connection with vehicles having flanged wheels as well as those of wagons and other ordinary vehicles, and it is so constructed that it will obtain a solid sup, port when laid directly on the ground without the use of theusual tie, although it is capable of use with the latter, to provide an efiicient joint or coupling for connecting the rail ends, and, furthermore, to provide means for maintaining the rail in upright position and at the proper gage.

To these and other ends, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:.Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section through the rail and the connecting member. Fig. 3 represents a transverse section through the rail showing the mode of attaching the stay rod thereto, A f.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout .by similar characters of reference.

The present invention provides a novel form of rail that is so constructed as to enable it to be laid directly upon moderately firm ground without the use of the usual tie, thus adapting it for use particularly in con ncction with relatively light railways such as used in excavating, mining, or for temporary trackage during reconstructing work, and it isalso adapted to provide a metallic railway to be laid in the ordinary street or road to form a solid track for heavy vehicles, such as drays, the wheels of which readily cut through the pavement of the ordinary street or road.

The rail shown in the present embodiment of the invention has a base 1 of segmental or arch-shaped form, the width of the base being determined according to the relative firmness of the ground or other sup port on which the rails are to be laid, and also according to the weight of the vehicles to be supported by the rail. Extending'longitudinally along the top of the base is a tread 2, the latter being relatively narrow when the rails are employed to form'a track for vehic'les having flanged wheels andbeing proportionately wider when the rails are employed to form a trackto receive the ordinary vehicle wheels. -The I the proper gage.

' longitudinal edges of tho base are provided with outturned horizontally extending flanges 3, 4, the upper and lower surfaces of these flanges, 5 and 6, being substantially paralleland lying preferably in a horizontal plane. and serving as means of attachment for the devices which secure the connecting member in place and the fastening devices on the stay rods which connect the rails of the track and maintain them. at

The cavity formed within the base is adapted to receive earth or other material when the rails are laid, and the packing of material into this cavity provides a supporting s1u-face for the rail that is equal in area to the distance between the flanges of the base.

.In order to maintain the rails of the track at the proper gage, stay rods 7 are employed, the latter extending between the rails of the track and engaging the under surfaces 6 of the flanges at the base of each rail, clips being secured by means of bolts 01' other suitable devices 8 and 9 to the stay rod at each side of the rail, each clip being provided with a shouldered portion 10 or 11 adapted to engage the outer edge of the corresponding flange, the inturned ends 12 and 13 of the clip fitting above and cooperating with the upper surfaces 5 of the respective flanges, relative lateral or upsetting movement of the rail on the stay rod being prevented by the'clips, and the intermed iate section of the rod connecting the rails serving to prevent spread ing or other variations in the gage. I

The abutting ends of adjacentrails areconnected by amember 14 which is adapted to overlap for a suitable distance beyond the joint between the cooperating rail ends, and it is segmental in form to correspond with and 'fit within the base, the edges of the connecting member lying in a planebelow the lower surfaces 6 of the flanges on the'base and tapering upwardly toward their ends. These connecting members are heldin cooperative relation with the abutting rail ends by means of the yokes or clevises 15, the latter each having an intermediate portion 16 adapted to cooperate with the .lower edges of the base and connecting 'member, the

ends of the yoke being turned inwardly, as at 17 and 18, to engage the upper surfaces 5 of the flanges'on the base. v .I

The connecting members' are secured in cooperative relation with the respective rail ends by a longitudinal movement of the yokes or cleviscs 15, the connecting portions 16 of theyokes cooperating with the inclined or tapered surfaces on the lower edges of the connecting meinber.

Rails embodying my present invention may be rolled of steel or formed-of othef suitable material, the base being either concavo-convex, asshown in the form of a box having more or less vertical sides or legs, and a substantially flat top, or it may be made in various fhrms to provide a basehaving an arch shape, the legs rail to support relatively heavy loads and to prevent lateral displacement of the rail.

The novel form of coupling or joint for the abutting rail ends may-be readily applied without the use' of bolts or spikes, a relative longitudinal movement of the yokes or closures serving to lockand'unlock "the con necting member relatively to the rails, and it compensates for'expansionj-and contraction of the rails due to temperature variations, andthe out-turned .fla-nges' on the base of the rail provide means for fastening the of the baserand having its lower edges tapered toward the coupling yokes and the stay-rod clips.

What is claimed is: r. a -l. 'A rail of the character described embbdying a ,base having a concavo-convex' cross section, the width between thelongitudinal edges bejng greaftei' thanv the altitudefiand a tread resting directly on the convert surface ot the'basef 4 2. A rail of tbdtcharacter. described embodying a hollow base havingtlateraafy, spread legs forming an'earth receivr ing cavity between them, and a tread of substantially rectangular cross section extending. longitudinally on and proceeding directly from the upper'side of the base.

'3. A rail of the character described'embodying a base substantially concave-convex in cross section and-forming an earth receiving cavity between its legs, and a tread extending longitudinallyandresting-directly on the convex surface of the base. i

4. The combination-with a rail having a hollow base, of aconnectiug member shaped toflt the hollow of the base, and devices movhle longitudinally of the rail for moving the said member lnto coiiperative relation with the rail.

0, Inc combination with a rail having an arch-shaped base, the longitudinal edges of the base being provided with out-turned flanges, of a connecting member shaped to flt ,the under side of the arch-shaped base, and devices cooperating withthe lateral flanges of the base for moving the connecting member into cooperative relation with the rail.

6. The combination with a rail having an arch-shaped base, the longitudinal edges of the base being provided with out-turned horizontal flanges, of a connecting member shaped to flt the concavity of the arch-shaped base and having tapered ortwedge surfaces toward its ends, and

yokes having portions adapted to operate longitudinally of the said flanges and cooperate with the wedge surfaces of the connecting member for locking the latter in cooperative relation with the rail.

7. The combination with a rail having a concavoconvex base, out-turned flanges on the longitudinal edges of the base,and a tread extending longitudinally of the convex surface ofthe base; of a connecting member having a shape corresponding to and adapted to fit the concave surface ends, and yokes having inturned ends codperating with the flanges of the base and coiiperating at intermediate points with the wedge surfaces of the connecting member for locking the latter in cooperative relation with the base of the 'rail.

8. The combination with a rail having an arch-shaped base providedwith outtu'rned flanges on its longitudinal edges, and a tread arranged on the top of the base, of a stay rod, and clips secured thereto having shoulder portions arranged to coiiperate with the outer edges of the flanges, and inturned ends arranged to cotiperate with the upper surfaces of-the flanges.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.- i

ALEXANDER n. l'ARR'.

Witnesses:

' Lonnn'r'ro WHITE, 

